L-shaped refrigerator



Jan. 30, 1951 c, EARLE 2,539,613

L-SHAPED REFRIGERATOR Filed Nov. 26, 1946 INVENTOR. Gum/v L 61 fAPLf BY)4? v ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 30, 19.51

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE L-SHAPED REFRIGERATOR Guyon L. c. Earle,Forest Hills, N. Y.

Application November 26, 1946, Serial No. 712,315

9 Claims. (Cl. ea-se) This invention relates to refrigerators and morespecifically to those adapted to form a part of a larger combinationunit.

In a prior patent of the present inventor, Patent 2,349,541 issued May23, 1944, there is disclosed a kitchen unit of the Set-back or L- shapedtype. This unit has a lower portion including the lower parts of arefrigerator and of a stove, a towel drier and a sink, an intermediateportion including the upper parts of the stove and refrigerator and adish drier, and an upper portion comprising cabinets. A long table-topmember is located on top of the lower portion and in front of theintermediate portion of the kitchen unit. In another application of thesame inventor, Serial No. 652,545, filed March '7, 1946, now abandoned,there is disclosed a clothes drier adapted to be positioned behind akitchen unit of the type disclosed in this patent. The presentinvention, in one of its primary aspects, relates to the improvement ofrefrigerators adapted to be used with other elements of a kitchen unitand/ or with a clothes drier.

It is, accordingly, an object of the invention to provide an improvedrefrigerator of the setback or L-shaped type.

It is another object of this invention to provide a refrigerator whichhas a sealed operating unit which can be easily installed after shippingand later removed for servicing.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a refrigerator ofthe set-back,or L-shaped type in which the liquefying portion of therefrigerating unit is placed on top of the upper setback intermediateportion of the kitchen unit under a stepped shelf in the upper portionof the kitchen unit.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a refrigeratorand clothes drier combination in which the fan of the refrigerating unitis positioned to dry clothes placed in the drier.

Other objects and features will be apparent as the description proceeds.

These objects are attained in accordance with the invention byproviding, by way of example, a refrigerator unit of the L-shaped orset-back type comprising a large insulated base cabinet having drawerstherein and adapted to be refrigerated either by a cooling coil or plateplaced in the cabinet or by circulation from an evaporator located in anupper, set-back portion of the refrigerator which is provided withshelves and ice cube trays. The liquefying portion of the refrigerating(operating) unit, which is preferably of the sealed type, is placed inthe upper cabinet on top of this upper set-back portion under a steppedshelf. This top of the set-back portion of the refrigerator servesas abase for the liquefying portion of the refrigerating unit. The fan ofthe refrigerating unit is placed near an opening in the rear of theupper cabinet space above the upper set-back portion of the refrigeratorin such a position that it coincides with an opening in a clothes drierpositioned behind the refrigerator and causes a circulation of airtherein. For ease in shipping, the sealed refrigerating unit and theupper set-back portion of the refrigerator can be shipped as a separateentity and installed in the kitchen unit at the site where it is to beused. If, after the refrigerator has gone into service and troubleoccurs, the stepped shelf can be removed and'the entire upper set-backportion of the refrigerator and its attached refrigerating unit can betaken out and repaired or replaced by new ones without disturbing thebase cabinet of the refrigerator (which may be an integral part of akitchen unit and thus be diflicult to move) or the refrigerating unitand the top of the upper set-back portion removed as a unitary element.

The invention will be more readily understood by referring to thefollowing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawingsforming a part thereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a kitchen unit, including a set-backrefrigerator in accordance with this invention, and a clothes drierassociated therewith, some of the operating portion of therefrigerator'being shown in dotted lines to indicate its position in thekitchen unit;

Fig. 2 is a side view, with parts broken away to show portions incross-section, .of the combination of Fig. 1, taken from the right; and

Fig. 3 is a front view, partially in section, of the right hand portionof the arrangement of Referring more specifically to the drawing, Fig. 1shows, by way of example and in perspective, an assembly 50 inaccordance with the invention comprising a kitchen unit I I and aclothes drier I2, the unit I I including a refrigerator I3 of novelarrangement. The back Id of the kitchen unit II is positioned adjacentthe side wall I5 of the drier. The kitchen unit I3 is of the L-shaped orset-back" type, that is, one in which the front surfaces of theintermediate portion I6 thereof and of the upper portion I'I thereof areplaced to the rear (or set-back from) the front surface of the lowerportion I8 of the unit. The lower portion I8 comprises the lower part I9ofa setper portion of the stove. The upper portion i,

I! of the unit comprises shelved cabinets 26. A table-top member 21,having cut-out portions for the sink and for the burners 28 of thestove, is placed above the lower portion I8 and in front of theintermediate portion I6. The whole unit II preferably rests on arecessed base 29. A complete kitchen unit of the type briefly describedabove is disclosed in the above-identified Earle patent. For conveniencein shipping and installation, the upper portion H of the unit II is notfastened to the intermediate portion I6 but is supported from the sidewall I5 or from trusses of the drier I2, and preferably hangs onbrackets or wall-hangers (as disclosed in greater detail in copendingEarle application Serial No. 698,030, filed September 19, 1946).

Behind the unit II is a space occupied by the clothes drier I2. Thiscomprises (see also Fig. 2) a compartment formed by the side member I5(preferably having height and length equal to those of the kitchen unitI I and which may be attached to the back I4 of this unit) a similarside member 30, the floor or a bottom member 3|, top member or ceiling32, and end walls 33 (the one shown in Fig. 1 being sliding). The sidemembers I5 and can be of heat insulating and fireproofing material andpreferably are of sounddeadening material as well. They have holesprecut to accommodate the various pipes and conduits for the unit I I.They are braced by means of rectangular braces 34 and the X-shapedtrusses .35. Supported from the right hand end member 33 are variousclothes-supporting members (not shown in this application but shown inthe aboveidentified Earle application Serial No. 652,545).

The side wall I5 of the clothes drier has an opening or window 36therein opposite a corresptnding opening 31 in the back wall 38 of theupper portion of the refrigerator section of the kitchen unit II for apurpose which will be described below.

Referring now to the refrigerator I3 for a more detailed descriptionthereof, the lower portion 2| of this unit comprises a base cabinet I9having a plurality of drawers 40, M, 42 and 43 and an intermediatecabinet 23 having doors 44. The top 45 of the cabinet 23 is removableand it supports either entirely or partially the evaporator 46 and alsothe liquefying apparatus 41 or a portion thereof (in the upper cabinet26 of the refrigerator section). The fan 48 and the condenser 49 of thisliquefying apparatus are positioned adjacent the openings 31 and 36 andhelp to cause a circulation of air in the clothes drier I2. A steppedcondiment shelf 50 is placed in the upper cabinet 26 of the refrigeratorand it serves also to hide from view the compressor, condenser and fanof the refrigerating unit. The evaporator 46 comprises coils 5I forcooling ice cube trays 52 and also coils 53 for cooling the lowercabinet I5.

In assembling the refrigerator, the base cabinet is placed in positionand then the upper portion 23 of the refrigerator (the intermediateportion of the refrigerator unit as a whole) (with the condiment shelf50 removed) is swung into position over it and fastened thereto by anysuitable means. The refrigerating unit (preferably of the sealed type)fastened to the top member 45 is then put in through the front opening54 of the upper cabinet 26, the top or plug member 45 secured to the topand sides of the intermediate cabinet 23 and the fan and condenserfastened to the back wall 38. The condiment shelf 50 is then put in andfastened into place. If for some reason it is desired to repair therefrigerating unit, all that it is necessary to do is to remove theshelf 50, unfasten the plug member 45 and the fan and condenser fromtheir supoprts and take the entire refrigerating unit (and the plugmember 45) through the opening 54, all without removing the base cabinetI9 and the intermediate portion 23 from the kitchen unit II. Theadvantages of this are marked and many. By removing the stepped shelf50, the addition of gas to the sealed unit or repairs to the fan andother parts can be made without disturbing the compressor.

The refrigerator may have a partition 55 between the lower andintermediate cabinets or this partition may be removed and circulationbetween the intermediate and lower cabinets relied upon for cooling bothcabinets. With the partition, one cabinet may be made much colder thanthe other if desired. The partition may be of insulating material or ofmetal and it may be removable.

If desired, the entire intermediate portion and the sealed refrigeratingunit can be put in and removed asone entity.

By forming an air passage between the dish drier 24 and the cabinetcontaining the fan 48 (by properly placed holes or air ducts) and byallowing fresh air to enter the kitchen unit in the base thereof- (asdisclosed in Earle Patent 2,328,129 issued August 31, 1943) and pass upinto the dish drier 24, a continuous circulation prfivents recirculationof moist air in the kitchen u t.

Various obvious modilcations can be made in the embodiment describedabove without departing from th spirit of the invention, the scope ofwhich is indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A mechanical refrigerator and cabinet unit comprising a lower or basecabinet with insulated walls and a plurality of drawers therein, aintermediate set-back cabinet positioned above and to the rear of saidbase cabinet, a table-top member above the portion of said base cabinetin front of said intermediate cabinet, an upper cabinet above saidintermediate cabinet, and a refrigerator unit for cooling said basecabinet and said intermediate cabinet, at least I a portion of saidrefrigerating unit being positioned in said upper cabinet.

2. A mechanical refrigerator and cabinet unit comprising a lower or basecabinet with insulated walls and a plurality of drawers therein, anintermediate set-back cabinet positioned above and to the rear of saidbase cabinet, a table-top member above the portion of said base cabinetin front of said intermediate cabinet, an upper cabinet above saidintermediate cabinet, and a refrigerating unit'for cooling said basecabinet and said intermediate cabinet, the liquefying apparatus of saidrefrigerating unit being positioned in said upper cabinet.

3. A mechanical refrigerator and cabinet unit comprising a lower or basecabinet with insulated walls and a plurality of drawers therein, anintermediate set-back cabinet positioned above and to the rear of saidbase cabinet, a table-top member above the portion of said base cabinetin front of said intermediate cabinet, an upper cabinet above saidintermediate cabinet, and a refrigerating unit for cooling said basecabinet and said intermediate cabinet, the liquefying apparatus of saidrefrigerating unit being positioned in said upper cabinet, saidliquefying apparatus including a fan adapted to be positioned adjacentan opening in the wall of said upper cabinet for circulation of air.

4. A mechanical refrigerator and cabinet unit comprising a lower or basecabinet with insulated walls and a plurality of drawers therein, anintermediate set-back cabinet positioned above and to the rear of saidbase cabinet, 9, table-top member above the portion of the base cabinetin front of said intermediate cabinet, an upper cabinet above saidintermediate cabinet, and a refrigerating unit for cooling said basecabinet and said intermediate cabinet, the liquefying apparatus of saidrefrigerating unit being positioned in said upper cabinet, at least aportion of said liquefying apparatus being supported by the insulatedtop of said intermediate set-back cabinet and part of the upper cabinetbeing removable without disturbing the refrigerating unit.

5. A mechanical refrigerator and cabinet unit comprising a lower or basecabinet with insulated walls and a plurality of drawers therein, anintermediate set-back cabinet positioned above and to the rear of saidbase cabinet, a table-top member above the portion of the base cabinetin front of said intermediate cabinet, an upper cabinet above saidintermediate cabinet, and a refrigerating unit for cooling said basecabinet and said intermediate cabinet, the liquefying apparatus of saidrefrigerating unit being positioned in said upper cabinet, andevaporator means thereof being positioned in said intermediate cabinet.

6. A mechanical refrigerator and cabinet unit comprising a lower or basecabinet with insulated walls and a plurality of drawers therein, anintermediate set-back cabinet positioned above and to the rear of saidbase cabinet, a table-top member above the portion of the base cabinetin front of said intermediate cabinet, an upper cabinet above saidintermediate cabinet, and a refrigerating unit for cooling said basecabinet and said intermediate cabinet, the liquefying apparatus of saidrefrigerating unit being positioned in said upper cabinet, andevaporator means thereof being positioned in both said intermediatecabinet and said base cabinet.

7. The combination of elements as in claim 2 in which there is apartition between the intermediate and base cabinets to prevent the flowof cold air therebetween.

8. A mechanical refrigerator and cabinet unit comprising a lower or basecabinet with insulated walls and a plurality of drawers therein, anintermediate set-back cabinet positioned above and to the rear of saidbase cabinet, a table-top member above the portion of the base cabinetin front of said intermediate cabinet, an upper cabinet above saidintermediate cabinet, and a refrigerating unit for cooling said basecabinet and said intermediate cabinet, the liquefying apparatus of saidrefrigerating unit being positioned in said upper cabinet, and a steppedshelf in said set-' back cabinet above said portion of the refrigeratingunit therein.

9. The combination of elements as in claim 2 in which said refrigeratingunit is of the sealed type.

G. L. C. EARLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

